Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-09-09

I
and fed guilty to my room. Haidee
was sleeping quietly and looked less
feyerish than when | went away. The
fire was burning cheerfully, and the
moment laid my head on the pillow |
fell asleep and did not awake until
morning.
Haidee was already awake, and I'M
doubtedly better.
How did You sleep, darling?" said
!, sitting on he bed and kissing her.
"Oh, beautifully, Miss Christie. |
hardly ever woke up once, and when l
did | watched the beautiful fire. 1t is
so nice and warm up here; | should
like to be here always. | think | should
have nice dreams up here, not like the
ones have downstairs.
You shall stay here until YOU are
quite well, my darling said |, re-
solved to ask that she might sleep in
my room permanently.
Miss Christie, | dreamed dream
last night with my eyes open, just like
as if | were awake said she, after a
pause.
That was because you were ILL.,"
darling: When people are i'll they
dream like that
DO thcy-quite plain, like as if it
was all quite real?'
Eyes, sometimes they think they see
people and talk to people"
That was like my dream. l dreamed
it was while was walking at the fire
that the door there opened quite gent
ly and softly, Just as if it moved quite
of itself, and then l saw papa's face.
and he had in his hand something red
and sparkling; and, just when the door
came quite wide open, thought sat
up in bed. and he looked at me. And
then the door seemed to shut quite
softly again, and l didn't hear any
thing-and that was all.
That WASH t really dream, darling.
1t was just fancy because you were
ill.,
Not a dream! Papa didn't really
come, did hep"
"Oh. no, darling! Papa is away i'll
London. See, the door is locked"
Twas beginning since the night be-
fore to be very sorry for Mrs. Rayner.
The deep affection and real feeling she
manifested for her child led me to won
der if through Haidee might not have
the power to draw nearer to her and
through sympathy with her come to
understand her better. And what if l
might be able to win my way to her
heart and persuade her to leave Geld
ham for a time, meeting Mr.. Rayner on
his return with the news that his wife,
at last, was ready to break through her
apathy and come back to the world
again. The thought made my heart
beat faster and l longed to begin my
delicate work at once.
But l was disappointed. l had all
my meals by myself that day, except
tea, which had upstairs with Haidee,
for Sarah said Mrs. Rayner was too
unwell to leave her room. When we
had finished tea, still sat upstairs by
my pupils bedside, and my high spirits
at the thought of Laurencc's expected
visit infected her, and she laughed and
chartered to me in a fashion very I'M
usual with her. At last l heard the
front-door bell ring, and my heart
seemed to stand still with joyful antici.
patton. But no one came upstairs to
fetch me, and after a few minutes
breathless waiting, ran downstairs,
unable to bear the suspense any long
er. l net Sarah in the hall.
"Who was that, Sarahp" asked /,
too much excited to think Of q decent
subterfuge.
"Only one of Gregson's boys asking
for Mr.. Rayner, miss"
Strange that Gregson's boy should
come to the front door, l thought. l
could not go upstairs again. 1t was
half-past six; and at half-past seven l
was to be at my "nest," if Laurence
had not come before. 1 thought that
hour would never end. 1t seemed to
me to be getting very dark, too. When
the hands of the school-room clock
pointed to twenty minutes past, l put
on my shawl, and had opened The win
dow to 60 out, when Sarah came in.
IF you please, miss, would you
mind helping me with the store-list?
Mrs.. Rayner is too jill to DO it, and il
has to be posted tomorrow morning
"Oh, Sarah. won't it do in-in hall
an hour?" said l, breathlessiy.
MRS. Rayner will want me then,
miss. 1t won't take you more than
: five minutes"
followed her out of the room, sup.
pressing my impotence as well as
could. But the task really did moi
seem to take long. In what appeared
to be about quarter of an hour was
free, and l dashed into the garden,
through the plantation, toward my
''nest."
l had not looked at the clock again
but surely it was very dark for hall
past seven! Yet Laurence was moi
| fhorot Aud I n
whether something was wrong, heard
the church clock strike eight. What
awful mistake had 1 made? Was he
!, gone? Should I really not see him
again? A bit of paper half hidden in
= the grass, not on my seat, but under it.
caught my eye. 1t was a leaf tori
? from pocket-book. On it was scrawlet
in pencil, in Laurence's handwriting:
"Good,byc, my dsrlingl Remember what
Progresses last night and 49, II no other , warn
the Aiders at seven, and was told BY ssrai
6 that you were tired out with watching BY
night, and you are mott" not here. Know wit It is
y trick. and know who is at the bottom of 1t
When left you last night there were twt
=, men in o cart outside the stable gate Of thu
Alders. If any thing happens, write. Writ.
, to me at the following address" Then fol
lowed the address. and this scrawl ended with
u AeNC oPoACA W ciNSs NouucIo. 0OOu
e bye. my darling! Take care of yourself fo
l the next six weeks and you shall never neec
= | to take care of yourself again.
Your devOtedly loving
LAURENCE"
; kissed the note, thrust it into thu
front of my frock, and fed into tn,
house and into the school-room
!. Sarah was just turning away from tn
mantel-piece; and by the clock it wa
just four minutes past eight.
How the time had flown between
! my leaving the school-room with Saral
: and my going into the gardenl
+ CHAPTER XXI.
). Isat down by the table as soon a
: Sarah had left the school-room, an,
rested my head on my hands. dit
n not want to cry, though few tear
trickled down between my fingers a
e the thought that l should not Sc,
| Laurence again before he went away
{ but l wanted to put the events of tn,
evening together and find out wha
: they meant. There was only one con
0 clusion to come to; Sarah had deliber
ately prevented my meeting him. TIL,
ring l heard had been laurence
and. after sending him away by means
r of fasehood, she had had another
Ill